Full-time operation can be its own applause

Frontiersman editorial board

The new Mat-Su Youth Facility may be cut back significantly, 28 state parks -- including some of the most often-used parks in Mat-Su are set for closure, state education funding will not meet the needs of schools that need additional resources to help their students fulfill the newly enacted standards and up to 23 Alaska State Trooper positions may be cut in a time when officers are unable to investigate or respond to some calls simply because they are short-staffed.

Tighten your belts, folks, budget time is here.

House leaders held true to their early promises to "hold the line on new government spending," often at the expense of jobs, state revenue and even basic health and safety issues.

The proposed $2.2-billion operating budget passed the House last week, with more than $100 million in cuts proposed.

At the beginning of the legislative session, lawmakers proposed bringing an additional $400 million in revenue into the state -- just the first step in closing the looming budget gap. But as the session is fully under way, the state is only one-quarter of the way to its goal, and many are leaning heavily away from instituting a state income or sales tax, not to mention the governor's proposed alcohol and cruise ship taxes.

It's disheartening that policy makers would choose to slice the budget before contemplating methods of bringing new revenue into state coffers. What's more disheartening is the nagging knowledge that while legislators use every opportunity possible to take credit for new buildings, new programs, new developments they can hang their names on, they place so little significance on seeing to it that the program, building or development they worked so hard to get in place has money to keep its lights on, heat up and staff in place.

It's easy to lobby for a project that will get you votes and applause. But what does it say of us as a state that we're able to build buildings, but can only fund them at half or less of their intended use? What message does it give visitors that our borough is home to some of the most beautiful vistas available but they can't be seen because some of the Valley's most oft-used parks are closed?

Such closures not only cut residents off from their own area, they reduce the number of jobs and have a greater effect on the economy than any tax that has been proposed. The cuts bind tourism businesses, ironically, during a legislative session in which the tourism industry lobbied hard and gained a significant amount of support for a bill to boost Outside visits to Alaska.

No, legislators don't get a lot of recognition for simply paying the bills, but rest assured there will be plenty of recognition to go around when such significant cuts are instituted.